I was born in 1949, my Dad was a big steam railfan and photographer. As a result, my brother and I had plenty of occasions to "accompany" my Dad on many of his expeditions to capture the last of steam on the C&S, GW, and UP. I remember scrap lines in Cheyenne and Denver very well. Many "last runs" are etched in my memory. I had lots of chances to see things many other guys my age never got to see. I knew or have met almost all of the well known characters of that time, including my Dad's best friend, Howard Fogg.
We had a "little train" in our park in Boulder, too. It was "Old No.30", which I came later to learn had actually run on the C&S as #74.
But I had never been "hooked" on the Narrow Gauge until the Summer of 1966, when our family took an "economical" vacation which included a visit to the Four Corners area. We arrived in Silverton a few minutes before noon, and caught #476 coming into town with "The Silverton". My Dad took a wonderful "trademark MCT" photo of the train passing the Depot in Silverton. It was a slide, and I've had it made into an 8X10, of which I am most proud.
Later in the afternoon, we caught the train south of Hermosa, and paced it into town. Dad found a way to get down into the alley which became known as "Narrow Gauge Blvd", as the train approached the Depot in Durango. As long as I live, I will never forget the sight, sound, and smell of #476's running gear 5-6 feet from my face as I watched, mesmorized, from the window of our car, block after block, whistling for each crossing. Bob Shock, whom I later met, was Engineer.
What a great memory that will always be.
For all I've done, and all the places I've been, that is one tough day to beat. Only the birth of my children could rival it. Maybe one or two others, after all, I'm not that old....
Anyway, as I sit here in Alabama, on a rare day off, writing this, I glance over to my "layout", which is only 10 feet long, but it's On3, Durango Depot, and "The Silverton" is right there, with a Diamond-Stacked #476 on the point. 35 years, and I'm still "hooked". I always will be.
Mike
